JSKA UK Board

JSKA UK Board meeting, 14th May 2008

Japan Shotokan Karate UK

Board meeting 14^th May 2008

Chairman: Stevan

Vice Chairman: Paul

Child Protection officer: Mark

Board members: Amanda, Dave G, Dave T and Viv

JSKA UK World Championship (August 2008)

Excellent news was given to the board by sensei Harrison, the JSKA GB have opened the events to all grades including adults. This means that all our students can compete at the championship. In the previous notes from the JSKA GB, the championship was to be only available to 3^rd kyu+ but this has now changed. There are also some junior kumite events where students can compete in more than one event.

Extra training at HSK dojos have occurred for the last 5 months with the championship in mind, there have also been some mini tournaments which were open to all JSKA UK students. We still have two mini tournaments and our JSKA UK championship where students can gain some valuable experience of competing. Sensei Harrison and Dave Gisby will use the two mini tournaments and the JSKA UK championship in June to select students for the JSKA UK “England (A) Team’s”.

Other students competing will be placed in B, C etc teams. It is important that we have our best teams competing on behalf of the JSKA UK.

Students going to the JSKA World Championship in Manchester (August 2008) will need to make their own arrangements for both travel and accommodation. I know many students have already booked flights and hotels. Manchester is going to be busy the weekend of the championship so the rest of you should start thinking about booking now. During the weekend the JSKA UK team will meet up on the Friday for training, the Sat and Sunday morning for the championship. Any children going will have to be accompanied by their parent/guardian.

We will also soon have the new track suits and gi badges. The badges for gi’s are done at source and thus can only be purchased by buying a new karate gi. Karate gi’s range from £20 including the embroidered badge. We are hoping to have both the track suit and gi on show at our JSKA UK championship in June. Once available, you will be able to order from your own sensei.

Mini tournaments as mentioned, we still have two left, these are on the first Friday of July and August. July will be Kumite, August will be kata. There is no mini tournament in June due to our JSKA UK championship. Sensei Harrison and Dave Gisby will use these mini tournaments to watch students with the JSKA UK teams in mind.

Trip to Japan, this will be open to all adults. We are hoping to go to Japan in 2009 to train with sensei Abe and sensei Nagaki. I have today emailed sensei Deiter Flindt for details as he has done this with his students in the past. We will also speak directly to Sensei Abe as well. Some students have expressed that we go as late as possible giving them time to save up. Amanda will check out some flights and costs. Some students have also expressed a want to have a long holiday in Japan. My feeling would be that we train with Abe and Nagaki sensei on maybe 3 days have a few days to our selves. The trip would thus be about 1 week. Students who would want to stay on longer or visit another part of Japan could do so on there own. We will also plan on having a Dan grading for students. There will not be a kyu grading conducted by sensei Abe.

Dan gradings, sensei Harrison confirmed at the meeting that we will now adopt the JSKA regulation for time between Dan gradings. These can be found on the JSKA web,  www.jska.jp/technical.html

See insert below.

Students have to understand however that these times are subject to approval from your own instructor. My personal view is if you have done the time and have trained as you should, then I would be happy for you to grade. If you are not at the required standard you may fail. If you are at the required standard or better,  you may pass your grading.

Sensei Harrison Holiday, all lessons will be covered by the assistants. Parents / guardians should make sure the instructor is present before leaving their children in the dojo. You should also make sure you collect them on time.

December JSKA UK Kata Championship. This will be held on the same day as our Christmas dinner. December the 6^th. The venue for the dinner will be the same as last year. As soon as we have costs, menu choice and any accommodation offers, we will let all students know.

The Kata championship will be hosted by Sensei Paul Larson. As soon as we have the venue we will let you all know. There will be events for all our students including the HSK Tiny Tigers.

Child protection officer, sensei Harrison confirmed that he and Mark (JSKA UK child protection officer) attended some training in Basingstoke on the subject of Child protection. The company who arranged the training said that the next time they run a course, we would be most welcome to have other students attend. Any instructor who would like to attend a course in the future will be advised of any courses available.

JSKA UK Championship June 6^th, 7^th and 8^th.

Friday is at RAF Odiham, the 7 a-aside football is straight after the training; Sat and Sun are at the Yateley Manor School.

All students should have had a print out with the full details on our championship. If you need any information see your instructor or check out the web pages, www.jska.co.uk/events.htm

We have events for all our students from beginner to black belt. You must hold a valid JSKA licence book. There are no Tiny Tigers events.

Sensei Sidoli will also be attending our championship.

The grading on the Saturday morning is for Dan grades only. No kyu grading. Students who recently failed a Dan grading may try again on the 7^th June. Please make sure you get a new grading form. The test few is still £50 registration fees etc only payable if you pass.

You should return the entry form to your instructor by the 1^st June. Indicating your age, grade events you want to take part in and if you are attending the tenpin bowling and official’s dinner.

The venue is the Yateley Manor School (same as last year) 51 Reading Road, Yateley, GU46 7UQ. Friday is training at RAF Odiham Saturday is Kumite (fighting) Sunday is Kata.

There is also tenpin bowling on the Saturday night.

On the Saturday we are looking for someone with a transit van to collect our mats in the morning and return them in the evening. If anyone has a van and can help out, please let us know.

Officials will all be expected to dress as per JSKA rules.

JSKA UK Judge / refs meeting at the Hilton hotel at 9.30pm on Friday the 6^th. All officials need to attend and be prepared to stay until completion.

There is an officials dinner on the Sunday night for those who attend on Friday and go on to assist during sat and Sunday.

HSK Tiny Tigers Board meeting

JSKA UK Championship June 2008, sensei Harrison confirmed that the championship has no impact on the TT lessons at any of our clubs. The TT lessons will run as normal. There won’t be any events this year at the championship. There will however be events at the kata championship in December 2008.

Waiting lists, sensei Harrison will continue to administer the waiting lists. He will also email TT instructors with who is on the lists each month. It is important that only he allows students to come off the waiting list and train at a club. Clubs also have to inform sensei Harrison when they have a place available.

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JSKA UK Board Meeting, 11^th Jan 2008.

Members present,

Sensei Harrison, Paul Larson, Amanda Gisby, Vivienne Dodd and Mark Penhallurick.

Future meetings will take place on Wednesday’s alternating between Camberley / Basingstoke area. 

JSKA UK Board, the name of HSK board has been changed to better reflect the board’s role to encompass all dojos with the JSKA UK. If in the future dojos are open near or far they too would come under the JSKA UK board. The web site will be updated with this information and guidelines, rules, etc will be amended to reflect this. 

JSKA UK Championship, sensei Harrison confirmed to the board that the arrangements for the championship will be run by the JSKA UK Team committee. We do however need the support of students to help on the committee and to provide a feedback to students at dojo level. We also need to be made aware of any sessions, training etc that could be of benefit to students going to the championship. For example the HSK are holding extra sessions after each normal training sessions as well as 1 mini competition each month which all students from all dojos can attend. One question from an instructor: can dojos make up teams to enter the World Championship? The answer is yes, it is a good idea to be able to practice as a team as often as you can. Sensei Harrison also confirmed that no one would be allowed to enter the championship without first going through the JSKA UK. It will be the JSKA UK responsibility to make the official entry for all those from the JSKA UK wishing to compete.

Students are allowed to and encouraged to make their own arrangements for travel, accommodation in connection with going to the World championship. Sensei Harrison has posted on the JSKA UK Championship web site his itinerary. All students will receive news items and further information on the championship very soon.

HSK Tigers, sensei Harrison gave details on the new HSK Tiny Tigers and how he is going to implement the system. Things like where badges would be sewn onto, who the badges were aimed at. He also confirmed that the system was something he was doing within his dojos under HSK and that this was not a JSKA UK idea and thus other JSKA UK dojos do not have to implement the system, this would be at there sole discretion. Amanda did however confirm that she thought the idea was good and that it would be implemented in the RSKC. Sensei Harrison confirmed that any one else using the badges for their juniors would be most welcome to do so in any name they wish and to also administer the system within their own dojo. They should also provide their own badges. Students within the HSK who don’t want to achieve a badge don’t have to. Just in the same way a student who does not want to grade does not have too either.

JSKA UK Child Protection officer, this position is held by Mark Penhallurick. Sensei Harrison confirmed that the JSKA UK will look at providing Mark with training for this role and that the JSKA UK will meet the costs of the training course. Sensei Harrison also confirmed that we also have a provision to currently use the child protection officer for the JKI. The current policy also indicates that if the child protection officer is not available that any concern about the behaviour of an adult should be immediately reported to the social services or the Police. The current HSK policy will also be updated on the web site as soon as possible to reflect the changes from HSK to JSKA UK and also any new legislation currently available to us.

JSKA Germany invitation, it has been decided that due to the JSKA World Championship in August it would be best if we invite our friends from Germany to take part in a friendly England v Germany competition in the same way we were invited late 2007, early in 2009. We will thus invite a small team early in Feb/March 2009.

JSKA UK Championship, the date for our championship will be the 6^th, 7^th and 8^th June 2008. We were going to hold the event in April but it was felt that with school holidays that the attendance would be lower than we would with for. Sensei Harrison hopes that by now doing the championship on this weekend that we have as many of our students attend as we can. Full details will be in the coming news letters. This will be our 17^th annual Karate championship. The event has Kata and Kumite for all ages / all grades. The championship will serve well for the World Championship later in the year.

Next years Christmas dinner, Amanda is already on the case. The venue will be the same as our last party. The date is the 6^th December. We will also hold our annual Kata Championship on the 6^th Dec. venue TBC.

HSK Tiny tigers, Amanda asked if we could increase the badge range to allow some students that she has who already have the full quota and thus have nothing else to aim for. Paul and Viv felt that it was more important for students to concentrate on their general karate and to practice their kata. There feeling was that the current range was sufficient. Sensei Harrison understood both views and respect the decision made at club level. It is important that the instructors at the club who know their children can make an informed assessment of the needs of the club. With that in the mind the HSK Tiny Tigers won’t increase the current badge range for Tiny Tigers. If however a club instructor feels the need from time to time to award a one off badge to a student then the HSK won’t have any issue with this.

HSK Tiny Tigers at Aldershot will be moving from Aldershot to Farnborough from March. Further details will be available soon. To include venue, times etc. The HSK Tiny Tigers web site will also then be amended to reflect the changes. Paul and Viv have also be asked to advise any Tiny Tiger who can’t make it to the new venue that they may be able to transfer to one of the other clubs with the HSK Tiny Tigers.

Chairman; Sensei Harrison 

JSKA UK Board Roles,